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On one the biggest cards of boxing in the UK this year, American visitor Steven Luevano led the way with a dominating performance over local man and former European, British and Commonwealth Champion Nicky Cook to annex the vacant WBO Featherweight title at the O2 Arena in London.
Right from the start, Cook has trouble with the fast handed southpaw, eating jabs as he tries to close distance and finding himself expertly clinched once he does get there by the experienced Californian.
Luevano has no problem landing a southpaw lead left and one of these powershots puts Cook down in the second round but the tough East End gets back up and begins to fins success with his pressure style in the third.
The fourth sees some serious trench warfare and while that would seem to suit Cook, the Dagenham native is put in deep water at round’s end by a perfect left uppercut on the inside by Luevano.
Luevano avoids Cook’s attempts in the fifth and punishes the local hero for each miss but the Londoner finds his form in the sixth and edges Luevano during some serious firefights.
Luevano goes back to the jab in the seventh but is soon drawn back into the alley by Cook who ends the frame by hurting the American with his trademark left hook to the body.
After feeling Cook’s power to the body, Luevano spends most of the eighth keeping away from the former triple champion but Cook catches him at times and goes back to work on the body, picking up a warning from referee Dave Parris for straying low.
Feeling confident, Cook steps up the pressure in the ninth, launching a serious body assault that has Luevano clenching but the Englishman’s increased offense leaves the door wide open for Luevano to counter attack and the California man does just that after an accidental butt cuts Cook under his left eye.
After absorbing a point blank left hand, Cook goes down again following a swift Luevano head to body combination. Cook gets back up and Luevano stages an all out attempt to finish him off but can’t do it.
The tenth sees both men fatigued and trying to conserve energy until things pick up again by round’s end. The combatants trade on even terms until Cook seems to lose his footing and is assessed a knockdown, much to the disapproval of the pro-Cookie crowd in attendance.
The eleventh sees Luevano go back on the attack and just 30 seconds into the round, a sickening left to the body spears Cook, sending him heavily to the canvas and this time, there is no beating of the count.
Steven Luevano wins the biggest fight of his career and the vacant WBO Featherweight title by outclassing the best 126 pounder in the UK. The American tourist improves to 33-1 (15) while brave Nicky Cook loses for the first time in a nine year career and falls to 27-1 (15).
